Bayonne’s fortress finally creaked as the DHL Stormers ground out a gritty 26–17 win at Stade Jean-Dauger, a result built on set-piece ballast, cool nerves off the tee and just enough cutting edge when it mattered. The visitors were far from perfect — a second-half red card and a later yellow invited real jeopardy — but they managed the chaos better and left France with the kind of away scalp that shapes a European campaign.
Mori (15'), Erbinartegaray (52'), Paulos (60')
Tries
Khan (1'), Villiers (75')
Spring (61')
Conversions
Swart (2', 76')
Penalties
Swart (22', 27', 30', 80')
Bayonne’s fortress finally creaked as the DHL Stormers ground out a gritty 26–17 win at Stade Jean-Dauger, a result built on set-piece ballast, cool nerves off the tee and just enough cutting edge when it mattered. The visitors were far from perfect — a second-half red card and a later yellow invited real jeopardy — but they managed the chaos better and left France with the kind of away scalp that shapes a European campaign.
The start was all Stormers. Inside two minutes, Imad Khan read the backfield, dabbed ahead and won the race for a sharp opener. Bayonne answered on 16 minutes through Federico Mori, who toed through down the left and finished to trim it to 7–5, but the rest of the first half belonged to the South Africans. Clinton Swart’s metronomic boot turned pressure into points on 23, 28 and 31 minutes, each penalty a small victory from scrum or collision. Half-time: 16–5, with the visitors bossing the middle third and Bayonne struggling to exit cleanly.
The hinge of the match arrived soon after the restart. The Stormers looked set to close it out, only for a 20-minute red card to flip the momentum and the crowd. Bayonne surged. On 53 minutes Arnaud Erbinartegaray finished from close range; on 61 Lucas Paulos crashed over after sustained pressure, the conversion edging the hosts 17–16 in front. For a spell the Stormers were down to 13 after a further yellow, and the noise in Bayonne said “here we go.”
But the visitors’ scrum had the final word. A series of penalties under the posts invited choice: take three or trust the shove. They chose power. With advantage rolling, Paul de Villiers punched over on 76 minutes and the conversion restored daylight at 23–17. Deep in added time, Swart coolly knocked over another three to snuff out the losing bonus point and underline the authority of the finish.
What carried it home? A “barbaric” set piece, a relentless kick-chase, and composure when the whistle traffic went against them. Bayonne had moments — Mori’s spark, heavy traffic through Paulos — but too many exits fed Stormers’ momentum. For the visitors, it was equal parts grit and clarity: start fast, bank threes, survive the storm, and finish like a side that knows exactly how to win away.
